Nomenclatorial corrections for Dasytidae and Malachiidae (Coleoptera)

Nomenclatorial corrections are proposed for 9 cases of homonymy and 5 cases of synonymy in the Dasytidae and Malachiidae. For the homonyms, the following new names are proposed: Aplocnemus montbabor Mayor, new name, for A. baborensis Pic 1922; Dasytes loboensis Mayor, new name, for D. nevadensis Pic 1954; Dasyte sminor Mayor, new name, for D. minutus Casey 1895; Amalthocuspici Mayor, new name, for A. metallicus (Pic 1955); Attalus tribandipennis Mayor, new name, for A. tricoloripennis Pic 1927; Attalus ulkei Mayor, new name, for A. laevicollis (Horn 1872); Laiuscephalus Mayor, new name, for L. verticalis Fairmaire; Sphinginopalpus mpumalangaensis Mayor, new name, for S. nigriceps Wittmer 1994; Sphinginopalpus rufinotus Mayor, new name, for S. rufithorax Wittmer 1994. Scelopristis Mayor new genus, is proposed for the species of Pristocelis LeConte 1862, a junior synonym of Trichochrous Motschulsky 1860; the available name Hadrocnemus Kraatz 1895 is proposed for the species of Apalochrus Erichson 1840 a senior objective synonym of Paritinus Abeille de Perrin 1891. The following new subjective synonyms are proposed: Pristoscelis Le Conte 1862 is a junior synonym of Trichochrous Motschulsky 1860; Anthocomus (Paremballus) Abeille de Perrin 1891 is a junior synonym of Anthocomus (Anthocomus) Erichson 1840; Anthocomus (Neotrotus) Abeille de Perrin 1891 is a juniorsynonym of Anthocomus (Celidus) Mulsant and Rey 1867; Amanicollops Pic 1908 is a junior synonym of Hadrocnemus Kraatz 1895. Paratinus Abeille de Perrin 1891 is a junior objective synonym of Apalochrus Erichson 1840). New combinations for North American species from Attalus Erichson, Anthocomus Erichson, Microlipus LeConte and Tanaops LeConte formalized here were suggested by Mayor (2002). The Characters indicating the close relationship of Neadasytes Hatch 1962 to Dasytastes Casey 1895, and of Paradasytes Hatch 1962 to Dasytellus Casey 1895 are discussed. Afrocolotes Wittmer 1960 and Olistherarthrus Champion 1922, listed as synonyms of Temnopsophus Horn 1872 by Evers (1989: 6), are here considered distinct genera. These changes are proposed here so that they can be included in a world catalog in preparation

Property and welfare in liberal political philosophy

In Anarchy, State, and Utopia, Robert Nozick argues that only a minimal, nightwatchman state is morally justified because a state with more extensive powers "violates persons' rights not to be forced to do certain things". He writes that his view implies that the state may not justly compel "some citizens to aid others". It is the justification of compelling "some citizens to aid others" that is the subject of this dissertation. In arguing for his position, Nozick invokes the name and prestige of two foremost liberal philosophers, Locke and Kant. It is shown that these two philosophers to whom Nozick turns for support do not support him at all, for they, like other philosophers in the liberal tradition such as Mill and Reid, argue that the property rights of the affluent be limited to provide for the needs and welfare of those unable to do so for themselves, that the state may justly compel some citizens to aid others. It is possible that, while Nozick is not, as he believes, a true disciple of Locke and Kant, or, indeed, in the mainstream liberal tradition on this important aspect of distributive justice, he has, nevertheless, produced a theory of property rights that can stand on its own merits, without appeal to Locke and Kant. It is argued that this is not so either, that Nozick fails to give convincing arguments for his strong property rights. The rejection of the idea that redistribution is a legitimate sphere of state action did not originate with Nozick in the twentieth century. The idea is clearly expressed in the writings of Hume in the eighteenth century. In order to show more clearly the implausibility of the minimal state case, Hume's arguments against redistribution are investigated and shown to fail

Lattice-Spin Mechanism in Colossal Magnetoresistant Manganites

We present a single-orbital double-exchange model, coupled with cooperative phonons (the so called breathing-modes of the oxygen octahedra in manganites). The model is studied with Monte Carlo simulations. For a finite range of doping and coupling constants, a first-order Metal-Insulator phase transition is found, that coincides with the Paramagnetic-Ferromagnetic phase transition. The insulating state is due to the self-trapping of every carrier within an oxygen octahedron distortion.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, ReVTeX macro, accepted for publication in PR

Signal buffering in random networks of spiking neurons: microscopic vs. macroscopic phenomena

In randomly connected networks of pulse-coupled elements a time-dependent input signal can be buffered over a short time. We studied the signal buffering properties in simulated networks as a function of the networks state, characterized by both the Lyapunov exponent of the microscopic dynamics and the macroscopic activity derived from mean-field theory. If all network elements receive the same signal, signal buffering over delays comparable to the intrinsic time constant of the network elements can be explained by macroscopic properties and works best at the phase transition to chaos. However, if only 20 percent of the network units receive a common time-dependent signal, signal buffering properties improve and can no longer be attributed to the macroscopic dynamics.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Conformal and gauge invariant spin-2 field equations

Using an approach based on the Casimir operators of the de Sitter group, the conformal invariant equations for a fundamental spin-2 field are obtained, and their consistency discussed. It is shown that, only when the spin-2 field is interpreted as a 1-form assuming values in the Lie algebra of the translation group, rather than a symmetric second-rank tensor, the field equation is both conformal and gauge invariant.Comment: 12 pages, no figures; accepted for publication in Gravitation & Cosmolog

On the determinants of local tax rates: new evidence from Spain

This paper studies the determinants of local tax rates. For the two main local taxes in Spain - the property tax and the motor vehicle tax - we test the existence of tax mimicking, yardstick competition and political trends in a sample of 2,713 municipalities. Using different spatial models, the results support the hypothesis of tax mimicking, with coefficients over 0.40. We also show the relevance of political variables such as the ideology of the incumbents and political fragmentation. The fact that incumbents with weaker political support display stronger mimicking behaviour is interpreted as evidence in favour of yardstick competition. Finally, we find incumbents mimic neighbouring municipalities ruled by the same political party, confirming the political trends hypothesis.Local taxation, tax mimicking, yardstick competition, political trends

Numerical test of the Cardy-Jacobsen conjecture in the site-diluted Potts model in three dimensions

We present a microcanonical Monte Carlo simulation of the site-diluted Potts model in three dimensions with eight internal states, partly carried out in the citizen supercomputer Ibercivis. Upon dilution, the pure model's first-order transition becomes of the second-order at a tricritical point. We compute accurately the critical exponents at the tricritical point. As expected from the Cardy-Jacobsen conjecture, they are compatible with their Random Field Ising Model counterpart. The conclusion is further reinforced by comparison with older data for the Potts model with four states.Comment: Final version. 9 pages, 9 figure

Analysis of polyubiquitin conjugates reveals that the Rpn10 substrate receptor contributes to the turnover of multiple proteasome targets

The polyubiquitin receptor Rpn10 targets ubiquitylated Sic1 to the 26S proteasome for degradation. In contrast, turnover of at least one ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) substrate, CPY*, is impervious to deletion of RPN10. To distinguish whether RPN10 is involved in the turnover of only a small set of cell cycle regulators that includes Sic1 or plays a more general role in the UPS, we sought to develop a general method that would allow us to survey the spectrum of ubiquitylated proteins that selectively accumulate in rpn10 cells. Polyubiquitin conjugates from yeast cells that express hexahistidine-tagged ubiquitin (H6-ubiquitin) were first enriched on a polyubiquitin binding protein affinity resin. This material was then denatured and subjected to IMAC to retrieve H6-ubiquitin and proteins to which it may be covalently linked. Using this approach, we identified 127 proteins that are candidate substrates for the 26S proteasome. We then sequenced ubiquitin conjugates from cells lacking Rpn10 (rpn10) and identified 54 proteins that were uniquely recovered from rpn10 cells. These include two known targets of the UPS, the cell cycle regulator Sic1 and the transcriptional activator Gcn4. Our approach of comparing the ubiquitin conjugate proteome in wild-type and mutant cells has the resolving power to identify even an extremely inabundant transcriptional regulatory protein and should be generally applicable to mapping enzyme substrate networks in the UPS